Ok, so my Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence pre-order came in yesterday. Now those who know me know that I am very anal about my purchases and I rarely ever buy brand new video games. Generally, I just do not see the value in paying $50 for a game I will beat in 8-12 hours. So this means I generally wait for the title to hit “Greatest Hits” status ($19.99) or buy them used.
However, there is the odd game that I will buy at launch because I honestly believe it is worth it. This year there are only four titles that fall into that category: Final Fantasy XII, Xenosaga Episode III, Phantasy Star Universe, and of course Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.
Due to my working graveyard shift, I order things to be delivered rather than going to pick them up because most places do not open until 10a and I am nearing bed time around then. So my game finally arrived yesterday (well actually Friday, but I didn’t get it from the front office until Saturday after work) and holy shit…
So you may be wondering, “Jak, why the fuck would you buy this game again when you already own Metal Gear Solid 3″? This re-release contains so much extra content as well as changes to the base game itself that quite simply; this is not the same game.
This review is based on about 5 hours of hands on-time with the game (Not including the time spent watching the pre-order bonus) as well as knowledge of the original Snake Eater which I have beaten a couple of times.
Disc 1 – Subsistence
Subsistence contains the entire Metal Gear Solid 3 game with a few notable changes.
The first change is that there are now 6 levels of difficulty at the start of the game including the European Extreme mode which means that if you are seen, the game ends. Really hard and I said fuck it after 30 minutes.
Next you will see an additional few questions that were not on the original. If you recall you were asked “What is your favorite Metal Gear Solid game”. If you had selected “I like MGS2!!” you had the bonus of the opening intro showing snake wearing a mask of Raiden (an in-joke for fans). Well in this one there are three additional questions:
I Like Metal Gear!!
I Like Metal Gear 2!!
I Like Metal Gear Solid 3!!
If you select “I like Metal Gear Solid 3″ it opens up the secret theater mode in disc 2 (More on that later). Not sure what the others do at the moment.
Next, this edition contains all of the face paint and camo outfits that were included as downloadable content in the PAL versions of the game. These are already available at the start of the game and some of them (like the above) are really fucking cool. However, upon using them they are more detrimental than useful as they really hinder up your camo level.
The most hyped change though is the addition of a new camera mode and rightfully so. In all previous Metal Gear Solid games, the camera was a semi-top down view with fairly limited mobility. Long time fans got used to this and it didn’t really bother us much, but people who were used to other stealth games did not like it. Subsistence has added a third-person camera that is centered behind snake and completely controllable. It is a really neat addition and completely changes the mechanics of the game.
There is also a demo theater mode that is unlocked upon completion of the game. You cannot use previous MGS3 saves, which is kind of lame, but I do not mind too much.This demo mode allows you to view any cut-scene in the game as well as modify them as you wish. If you want to see your favorite cut scene with Snake wearing a different face paint or outfit, you can do it. I cannot wait to check it out and see what I can come up with.
Disc 2 – Persistence
Now in my opinion, this disc is the entire reason to buy this game. It contains Metal Gear Online, the REAL versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Secret Theater mode, and Snake vs. Monkey.
Metal Gear Online is something I have yet to try out simply because I do not have a long enough Ethernet cable to go from my computer room to my PS2. However, I will get this rectified soon and jump online to give it a shot. For all the info on this mode, check the official site.
Next is what I would consider my favorite part of the entire collection, the inclusion of the real Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 for the MSX. These are the real version of the games that never made it to the states.Metal Gear was ported to the NES and it was so completely destroyed that series creator Hideo Kojima has disowned it. As far as Metal Gear 2, it has never been available overseas until now. The version we saw (Snake’s revenge) is non-canon and Kojima had nothing to do with it
I am currently working my way through Metal Gear right now and cannot wait to play Metal Gear 2. it is highly addicting, with a completely re-written english translation (no more “I FEEL ASLEEP!”) that really fleshes out the story of Solid Snake.
Secret Theater Mode is another addition, this one being unlocked by choosing “I like MGS3″ on the Subsistence disc and then saving a game. This section features a ton of extra cut-scenes that never made it into the final version. It also contains a number of hilarious scenes involving everyone’s favorite joke Raiden from MGS2.
These movies are priceless and include such videos as “Metal Gear Raiden: Snake Eraser” which involves Raiden going back in time to Metal Gear Solid 3 and attempting to assassinate Big Boss. This way, Solid Snake does not kick Raiden out of the Main character’s chair in Metal Gear Solid 4.
To be fair, if you are not a fan of the series, the majority of these jokes will make no sense. However, long time fans are sure to laugh their ass off.
The final addition is improvements and additions to the the mini-game Snake vs. Monkey. I have not tried this yet and did not play it on the original so I cannot offer any info about it save for the official website
Disc 3 – Existence (Limited Edition Only)
Existence is available only when you purchase the limited edition, which to my knowledge was sold out about a week or two after you were able to pre-order. This disc is essentially a 3.5 hour long movie of all of the cut-scenes from Snake Eater. They are re-edited and in some cases re-dubbed to flow better as it eliminates codec sequences as well as most of the in-game engine sequences.
You will notice I said “most of the in-game..” which means that Existence splices together in-game footage with the re-edited cutscenes to fill in gaps in the movie. This sometimes makes for a bad transition between the two due to the obvious decline in quality between in-game and cinematic engines. In addition to this, all of these cut scenes are already on the theater mode on disc 1 upon completeing the game which makes this disc useless for many people.
So if you are someone who simply enjoys the games for what they are, this disc is not really all that necessary. However, if you are a die-hard fan, it is well worth the extra money as it really is a well-done movie overall.
As an added bonus, Existence also contains the amazing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots trailer that played at TGS 2005. It looks absolutely amazing and shows off what the PS3 is capable of as it has been proven to be a real-time demo. I have seen this trailer far more times than I can count but I never cease to be amazed by it.
For me, the only thing to really complain about with this disc is that this is not a standard DVD so you have to play it on your PS2.
Disc 4 – Metal Gear Saga (Pre-order only)
This 28 minute documentary comes only with a pre-order. It is a retrospective and a look back at the entire Metal Gear saga from Metal Gear Solid 3 (The first in the chronological story) all the way to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. It also has interviews with Hideo Kojima where he states that all questions raised at the end of MGS2 will be answered in MGS4 which WILL be the final game in the series. This IS a standard DVD and can be played in any DVD player.
My only complaint with this one is that it is too damn short. However, for a free pre-order bonus, you cannot complain too much
So all in all, I am VERY happy with this purchase. It was well worth the money and I can see myself having fun with this for hours. If you never liked Metal Gear, this game will NOT change your mind. However, if you are a fan even in the slightest, you owe it to yourself to get this even if you already own Snake Eater.
4 stars out of 4
